Addictions & Substance Abuse Counseling

The field of substance abuse counseling has changed significantly over the last few
years as a result of advances in brain imaging and a greater understanding of both
brain chemistry and neuroadaptation (tolerance and withdrawal). Hence, there is an
increasing tendency to recognize a variety of repetitive behaviors that result in
an intemperate relationship with an activity as in addiction. There are adverse biological,
social, or psychological consequences for the person engaging in such behaviors and
process addictions such as gambling, compulsive shopping, sexual and pornography addiction,
food addiction, and internet, cell phone and texting excesses. There will be an increasing
need for treatment of these excessive behaviors.

About

This certificate is primarily designed for graduate students in rehabilitation counseling,
mental health counseling, social work, psychology or other human services disciplines
or for human services professionals who desire to learn about addictions and substance
abuse counseling.

CEU/Licensure Credit: This graduate certificate program is approved for education
and training by the Certification Board for Addictions Professionals of Florida (CBAPF
approved provider #179A).

Course List

The 15 hours listed below are required for a Graduate Certifi­cate in Addiction &
Substance Abuse Counseling. The three hour practicum must include 14 hours of work
per week in a supervised substance abuse field site.

Required Courses

Course Number

Course Name

Credits

RCS 5450

Fundamentals of Substance Abuse Counseling

3

RCS 6459

Professional Skills for Addictions Counselors

3

RCS 6456

Counseling Approaches for Substance Abusers

3

RCS 6803

Practicum in a Substance Abuse Facility

3

Elective Courses (Choose One)

Course Number

Course Name

Credits

RCS 6930

Obesity and Eating Disorders

3

RCS 6930

Spirituality and Counseling

3

RCS 6930

Introduction to Mind Body Techniques

3

RCS 6930

Principles and Practices of Personal Change

3

Or other approved elective.

3

Course Sequencing & Schedule

The Certificate has a specific sequence of courses to prepare students with the basic
knowledge needed to excel in the more clinically advanced courses. Courses in the
certificate are offered on a set schedule with Fundamentals of Substance Abuse Counseling
being offered in both the spring and fall semesters and Professional Skills for Addictions
Counselors and Counseling Approaches for Substance Abusers being offered every summer.
For a full list of classes and when they will be offered, visit the USF OASIS Schedule of Classes.

Admission Requirements

To qualify for admission into the Addictions and Substance Abuse Counseling Graduate
Certificate Program, students must have completed or be in the process of completing
a master's degree in the field of counseling or a related discipline leading to the
coursework necessary to prepare them for a clinical Practicum experience. Students must apply before completing their first course in the certificate program.To apply, a student must:

Complete the Graduate Certificate Application (non-USF students must include a $30
application fee).

Complete a 250 word personal statement.

Provide a Resume

Provide two letters of recommendation

Provide transcripts from master's program

Contact

For more information on the Addictions and Substance Abuse Counseling, please contact: